I don't have any problems with the new AI, the Wolf's balance is fine (although new players are comparing it to the alternative, which is another story entirely, balance-wise) and I think that a lot of the problems people are reporting are related to:
1. Not understanding that the AI's "cowardly" behavior is directly related to how it's armed. For example, if I want a "cowardly" Wolf, I give it nothing but Tac Lasers and a Steady officer, boom, it's a "coward". If I want the very same Wolf to act aggressively with the very same Officer, I give it a Pulse Laser and PD Lasers; now it'll close.
2. Not understanding that, with the balance changes to Officers, fleets simply can't face-roll quite as well as they did in 0.72 (although they get very close by the end, if armed correctly). Moreover, the biggest change to the balance changes to Officers is that the Player's power is considerably less; I'd honestly recommend fixing that, so that the player is buffed more than Officers and can remain heroic... but that's just me.